The present invention relates generally to prefabricated forms of the type which are used to fabricate wall structures and more particularly to a new and improved prefabricated form for use in fabricating wall structures. The present invention also relates to a wall structure fabrication system which includes a plurality of said prefabricated forms and which can be used to fabricate various types of wall structures.
It is well-recognized that millions of people, both in the United States and abroad, lack some form of minimally-acceptable dwelling wherein refuge from both natural and man-made elements may be sought. Most often, this is because the costs associated with obtaining a structurally-sound dwelling, e.g., the cost of obtaining suitable building materials and the cost of employing skilled labor to fashion a building using such building materials, are prohibitive. For example, the fabrication of concrete walls for a dwelling is clearly rather complex and time-consuming as it requires both the strategic placement of steel bracings, wood form boards, and extensive exterior bracing to hold the form boards in the appropriate alignment while concrete is poured between the wood form boards and the subsequent removal of the wood form boards and exterior bracing once the concrete has been poured and allowed to harden into a wall.
Recently, a multitude of novel wall-forming systems have come into being, the systems making use of a plurality of hollow interconnected plastic forms into which concrete may be poured. After concrete is poured into the forms and allowed to harden, the forms remain in place to serve as insulation. Examples of patents relating to this type of wall-forming system are described below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,541, to Gibbar, Jr., which issued Aug. 13, 1991, relates to a polymer building wall form construction. The construction comprises forms prefabricated of a polymer, such as polystyrene, which are assembled together, the forms being spaced apart by integrally connecting polymers or blocks, spacers, or spool means, erected upon a foundation footing, or other base structure, through their insertion of L-shaped ties, with the wall forms being erected to the height desired for the subject building or other structure, whether it be a commercial, industrial, or residential building, through the application of tee-shaped ties therebetween. Reinforcement is located in the spacing between the blocks or spacers, of the wall forms, and concrete may be poured therein, either at the job site, where the building is being constructed, or at the manufacturing plant, where the wall forms are formed, in order to provide a latticework of reinforced concrete for the composite wall. The internal surface of each of the inner and outer liners forming the wall form are shaped, into the configuration of an I-beam, in order that any concrete poured therein will undertake the cross-sectional configuration of an I-beam, to add further reinforcement to the fabricated building, once a wall is completed. A top beam form of plate cap is arranged upon the upper edge of the formed wall, with the concrete being poured simultaneously with the construction of the assembled wall. Bracing held together by ties and locked into position by fasteners secure the wall forms together, in their erected disposition, in preparation for the pouring of the latticework of concrete reinforced composite wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,480 to Guarriello et al., which issued May 14, 1991, relates to hollow foamed plastic forms for poured concrete. Each of the forms has a pair of opposed parallel side walls with planar upper and lower faces, and a pair of opposed end members. Disposed on the upper and lower faces of the side walls are a series of elongated locking members, each composed of a pair of offset ribs having a trapezoidal shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,969 to Horobin, which issued Jan. 23, 1990, relates to an insulating block form for constructing concrete wall structures. The block form is formed from expandable polystyrene material to provide a lightweight, rigid, box-like structure having a pair of oppositely disposed side walls and end walls which together define a body cavity to receive concrete therein. A plurality of transverse strut members integrally support the side walls and further define a plurality of cells. Each end wall includes a pair of inserts which are adapted to be mounted to the transverse strut member when the elongated block form is required to be cut for a particular installation. The side and end walls are further provided with interlocking members whereby they are readily stacked one above the other and side-to-side in a secure interlocked arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,382 to Horobin, which issued Dec. 5, 1989, relates to a modular building-block form. The form is shaped in a rectangular configuration and has a pair of oppositely disposed side panel members and end enclosure panels to define a body cavity to receive poured concrete therein. The side panels are held in a fixed parallel relation to each other and are further prevented from side-to-side movement relative to each other by a plurality of strut members which are fixedly mounted transversely from one side panel to the other. Each strut member is formed with substantially "H"-shaped tenon members that are slidably engaged with spaced-apart, "T"-shaped slots formed in the inner surfaces of said side panels. The panel structure is firmly grasped within the pair of opposed stud members that define the tenons. The tenons are integrally connected together by means of truss members that further define passages therethrough for flow of wet concrete therebetween.
Other patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,344 to Durand, which issued Aug. 20, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,478 to Spring, which issued May 14, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,476 to Leslie et al., which issued May 14, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,310 to Boeshart, which issued Dec. 26, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,515 to Browning, Jr., which issued Aug. 29, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,968 to Obino, which issued Mar. 22, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,429 to Young, which issued Nov. 17, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,947 to McKay, which issued Oct. 13, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,745 to Kinard, which issued Aug. 6, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,070 to Oltmanns et al., which issued Nov. 10, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,049 to Sachs, which issued Jan. 1, 1974, U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,832 to Harman, which issued Jun. 13, 1972, U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,673 to Witkosky et al., which issued May 5, 1970, U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,785 to Denny et al., which issued Apr. 29, 1969; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,165 to Morawski, which issued Apr. 15, 1969.